Fire razes Apostolic Church building in Lagos, LASEMA confirms

Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, has confirmed that its responders successfully contained a fire incident in Lagos, preventing it from spreading to adjoining structures.

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by the agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale.

According to the report, the fire outbreak occurred around 3 p.m., prompting immediate activation of emergency response teams after distress alerts were received via the state’s 767 and 112 emergency hotlines.

On arrival at the scene, responders discovered that a two-storey building occupied by The Apostolic Church had been engulfed in flames.

Preliminary findings indicated that the fire started from the rear section of the upper floor before spreading towards the front of the building.

The agency noted that the suspected cause of the fire was an electrical surge, as public electricity supply was active at the time of the incident.

No fatalities or injuries were recorded, a development attributed to swift evacuation efforts and rapid intervention by emergency responders.

Firefighting operations were carried out jointly with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, who worked together to bring the situation under control.

Firebreaks were strategically created to stop the flames from extending to nearby residential and commercial buildings.

While parts of the affected church building were salvaged, the area was secured to ensure the safety of worshippers, residents, and emergency personnel.

As of about 3:20 p.m., damping-down operations were still ongoing to eliminate any possibility of re-ignition, even though the fire had already been contained.

The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, commended residents for promptly alerting emergency services and praised the coordinated efforts of all responding agencies.

He said the zero-casualty outcome reflected the state government’s sustained investment in emergency preparedness, training, and response infrastructure.

Oke-Osanyintolu also disclosed that the Lagos State Safety Commission would collaborate with faith-based organisations to conduct free electrical safety inspections and fire prevention drills.

He urged residents to ensure the use of certified electricians, install surge protection devices, and avoid overloading electrical circuits.

The Permanent Secretary also encouraged the public to continue making use of the 767 and 112 emergency numbers for rapid response to emergencies.

He added that both the Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory would carry out structural integrity assessments on the affected building following the incident.